The province’s move to end a public vote for District Chair is rattling local politicians.
Muskoka was one of four regions told to abandon plans for an open vote to select a Chair for the District government. Graydon Smith, the mayor of Bracebridge, is also a regional councillor with the District of Muskoka. He is troubled by the decision made by Premier Ford.
He says what has caught a lot of people off guard is the speed of the decision without apparent consultation. The worry is, what else could be coming from the Ford-led government?
Smith is a member of the Association of Municipalities of Ontario and he says the Ford government is bound by an agreement to consult with municipal governments on issues that will affect them.
“I’m concerned that something has happened that is very impactful to at least some municipalities without any consultation at all,” says Smith.